


His Sleeping Beauty

by elizabookworm



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), Once upon a time fandom, ouat
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Librarian Belle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-25 17:44:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7542001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elizabookworm/pseuds/elizabookworm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alternate Universe... sort of! </p><p>Rumple and Belle have been on autopilot over the last few weeks thanks to the antique shops new advertising, Belle’s grand library opening and just generally trying to save Storybrooke from the clutches of evil. With all the chaos, they haven’t had much time for sleep or one another. One Friday evening, Gold decides to walk to the library to take Belle home and when he gets there, she is fast asleep. Some major fluff going on in this story and another possible chapter brewing for the continuation... I have ideas that would slot in perfectly!</p>
            </blockquote>





	His Sleeping Beauty

It was a Friday evening and Gold was in his back office at the pawnbrokers shop, reclining in his antique leather chair with his legs crossed and resting on the desk top. It had been such a busy week and this was the first time he could sit in silence. As he put his hands behind his neck and head to get in a more comfortable position, he sighed with relief that the day was coming to an end. Gold shut his eyes and could see only one thing: Belle. He had really missed her over the last few days and weeks, they had all been run ragged trying to keep Storybrooke safe. It annoyed him that he had a long list of things to do tomorrow before completing a deal - a deal which would be of little benefit to him, which only seemed to irritate him even further. Gold growled. There were definitely much better things he could spend his precious time. Straightening himself up in the chair, Gold reached into his jacket to fish out his aged bronze pocket-watch. 

“Hmm. 18:20, surely she must be done now?” he said, watching the little hand tick. Belle was supposed to call him, or at least send a text to let him know when she was locking up but he hadn’t heard from her yet. He decided that it was time to lock up the store and he’d walk to the library, even if it would mean that he would have to wait until she was finished doing whatever she was doing, he didn’t mind. After flicking off all the lights, shutting the windows, flipping the hanging sign from ‘Open’ to ‘Closed’ and locking the front door, Gold made his way to the library. It was a lovely night out with a nice cool breeze so he didn’t mind the walk, despite his bad leg. 

Upon entering the library he noted the mixture of smells, old musty books and leather meets a very subtle but distinct hint of floral perfume. To anyone else, they would have been oblivious but to Gold, he knew all too well that it was his wife’s signature scent and he loved it. The smell of her perfume had a soothing effect on him, particularly when he hugged her close and it teased his senses.

“Belle? Belle, love, are you in here?” He called out. It was an obvious question to ask but he couldn’t see his wife through the sea of books, even if he stood on his tip-toes. There was no reply. He decided to explore the vast room of shelves full of books, each one unique and containing a world of limitless possibilities within their pages. It was little wonder Belle loved books and this library so much, her imagination was endless and she could escape to anywhere in the world by simply opening a book. What he found remarkable about Belle is her ability to transport others to another world by bringing the book to life and drawing in even those with no interest in reading, turning them into regular readers, even if before they wouldn’t give a book a second glance. Much like himself, he mused. She could make people see the beauty and wonder in everything, even in a seemingly ordinary – or in his case, damaged, book. People never gave him a second glance but now, thanks to Belle, he is respected (albeit still feared)

As he reached the plush reading nook, Gold paused, resting his weight on his cane in order to take in the sight before him. He could feel his cold heart thaw and skip a beat. It was Belle, fast asleep on one of the large soft bean-bags surrounded with books. She looked absolutely stunning when she slept. He smiled, musing that she looked stunning all the time anyway. There was a stray strand of hair draped over her gorgeous pale face, her expression was peaceful - he noted that it was the most peaceful he had seen in weeks.  
Not wanting to wake her just yet, content just to watch his sleeping beauty, he got closer and sat on the small but sturdy table next to her. It was solid enough to take his weight and high enough off the ground that he wouldn’t have difficulty getting up. The beanbags were much too low… He’d never get up of that thing with his bad leg. As he sat on a table, Belle stirred slightly and her nose twitched just a little causing Gold to smile like a schoolboy. Her nose always twitched just as she started to wake up. It was an involuntary action that happened every morning but she was completely oblivious so was forever asking him why he looked so happy first thing in the morning. His answer wasalways the same. “You.” And she adored it because he always looked so bashful and shy, almost vulnerable. 

Gold leaned forward, moving the soft curl off her face to place it along with the rest of the mass. As his finger brushed softly up against her cheek, Belle let out a sigh of pure contentment and allowed a smile to escape across her sleepy face. She soon became aware that her husband was in the room. “Oh my darling Belle” Gold said softly, continuing to stroke the skin on his wife’s face, noting how soft it was to touch. He had missed how she felt. At first, Belle was sure she was dreaming but as she became more aware, eyes still closed, she could feel her husband’s hand stroking her face. It was definitely Rumple. Her nose had detected a woody, antique scent, the one that usually came from Rumple's clothing when he had spent too much time in the store. That, mixed with his own body scent, was instantly recognisable to her. 

Finally Belle opened her eyes, trying to adjust to the bright light flooding in. “Rumple… Hey you…” she said groggily as she began to focus on her husband, who was now leaning much closer to wife. 

“Hey yourself” he whispered. As Belle surveyed her surroundings, she realised where she was and became almost embarrassed. “Oh Rum, I’m so sorry. I must have fallen asleep. What time is it?” she asked as a faint blush spread across her cheeks. 

Rumple laughed softly. He leaned forward to press a lingering kiss on his wife’s forehead, breathing in as the faint smell of her floral perfume reached his nose and made him close his eyes. “Don’t worry about it sweetheart, it’s only seven. My poor darling wife is all tuckered out” he said softly as their eyes became level.

Belle rubbed her nose up against his, mimicking an Eskimo kiss, causing her eyes to softly haze and close the same way as her husband's. He was in an awkward position but as their noses touched and his forehead rested on hers, he didn’t care, even if his leg was complaining with the angle. 

Belle extended her neck just slightly so their lips touched. She placed a very gently kiss on her husband’s lips. For something so gentle, it was loaded with passion and brimming with love. She had missed the feeling of his lips on hers, especially when they were a little bit drier with the weather. 

“I love you” she said, realising just how much she had missed him lately. Rumple felt his heart swell and ache with the words she has just said. 

“I love you more, Mrs Gold” Rumple said, feeling as if his chest were about to burst open while his face was still touching hers.

“I love you most, Mr Gold” Belle said, smiling into his lips before kissing him again ever so softly again and entwining her delicate fingers in his warm hands. 

“Belle, Sweetheart, your hands are absolutely freezing” Rumple was shocked at how cold his wife’s hands were, taking them both in his just to try and warm them up a bit. Although it was a lovely evening outside, the library wasn’t quite as warm, particularly with the heating being turned off during the day.

“And yours are so lovely and warm, Rumple.” She was almost shivering, becoming more aware of the cold as the sleepiness faded. 

Rumple noticed his wife’s slight shiver and said “Right, Mrs Gold. I do believe it’s time to take you home. I think you’ve spent enough time in this library for one day, don’t you?” Belle nodded in agreement. It had been a long, tiresome week… it was definitely time for them both to go home. She had a certain amount difficulty getting up from the bean-bag because of how deep she had sunk in: it seemed to have almost swallowed her whole since falling asleep. Rumple could only laugh at his wife’s efforts to escape the plush monster…

“A dangerous monster” he said playfully. “Would you like a hand dearie?” and Belle was more than grateful for his assistance.

“My knight in shining armour…” She said, giggling as she took her husband’s hand and he freed her from the librarian-eating-monster. “Now I understand why you refuse to sit on one of those things.” 

He wrapped a protective arm around his wife, he noted how cold her bare arms were so he hugged her closer into his side and rubbed his hand up and down her arm in an attempt to gently heat her up. Belle turned off all the lights and as she stood on the step of the library door, she felt relieved to be going home. Turning on her tip-toes, almost like a little ballerina, she came face to face with her husband, who was now eye level with her due to being on the step below. 

“Hey you…” she said once more, looking lovingly into her husband’s gorgeous warm golden brown eyes.

“Hey yourself…” He responded, keeping with the conversation they always had. It was their thing. Just then, Belle pressed her hands up against her husband’s chest and leaned forward for a soft kiss. No expectations. Full of love. Belle wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms protectively around her waist, pulling her closer to his chest. The sweet scent of her hair reached his nose as it was carried by the light evening breeze. Immediately, the stress and absence over the last few weeks seemed to instantly melt away for them both and it was as if they were never apart. 

They finally broke from the kiss as Belle moved her head back a little to admire Rumple, studying his eyes and face as she gently ran her fingers through his soft greying hair. He placed a kiss on the tip of Belle’s nose before taking her hands and kissing her fingers softly one by one. "You really are the biggest softie" she said, loving the fact that it was only her that got to see this secret gooey side of him.

"Don't go spreading that around dearie, I have a reputation to uphold... Can't have them thinking I've gone soft" He joked, still keeping his eyes firmly locked on hers.

"Of course not. You have my word. Besides, I wouldn't want any of them knowing how romantic you are... I don't want any of them getting any ideas" although Belle knew, even if there were any women, Rumple only had eyes for her and always did. Although he was still laughing at his wife's suggestion.

“My terribly protective wife... Where would I be without you? Right, sleeping beauty, let’s get you home, what do you say?” and with that he wrapped his jacket around Belle to protect her from the now cool evening air. Belle wrapped her arm around his hip, snuggling right into his side to savour his scent, warmth and to enjoy his closeness, as he put a protective arm across her shoulder before they both began to walk home.

~ Fin~


End file.
